Number of Containers: 17

Linear Feet of Shelf Space: 10

Approximate Number of Items: 8000

 

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

 

George Frederick Jewett (1896-1956), Spokane lumber executive and former naval officer, spent approximately 35 years amassing this collection of naval literature, photographs and models. While a student at Harvard University, Jewett began acquiring photographs, mostly from commercial sources, of the ships of the world's navies. He also began collecting waterline models, primarily of German ships. When he ended his collecting effort around 1950, he had accumulated approximately 7500 photographs and 200 models. While these photographs and models date from approximately 1900-1945, the vessels and other naval subjects depicted date from the 1870s to the 1940s (roughly, the battleship period). Jewett collected photographs or models of about four-fifths of the major naval craft constructed during this era. He also collected many pictures of crews, shore installations, machinery and naval maneuvers. In addition to the materials included in this collection, the Jewetts also donated to the WSU Libraries approximately 360 books on naval history and naval affairs. These books have been removed for separate cataloging.

 

ACCESS

 

The items in this collection vary widely in physical condition, and are available for on-site research use. Reproduction is available for items in good condition on a case-by-case basis.

 

The suggested citation for the collection is:

 

[Item Description]

George Frederick Jewett Naval History Collection

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections

Washington State University Libraries

Pullman, WA

 

RELATED MATERIALS

 

George Frederick Jewett also donated approximately 360 books on naval history and naval affairs including partial sets of Brassy's Naval Annual (1886-1949) and Jane's Fighting Ships (1904-1955). These materials are housed in MASC, and have been designated for separate cataloging.

 

ARRANGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION

 

This collection is described in "The George F. Jewett Naval Collection," The Record (newsletter of the Friends of the Washington State University Libraries), vol. 19 (1958), pages 6-10.

 

The collection is arranged in three series: 1. Photographs; 2. Correspondence; 3. Models; and 4. Printed Materials.

 

Series 1, Photographs, consists mainly of images of ships. These include postcards and photographic prints. Subseries 1.1 consists of postcards and small format photographs. These are arranged alphabetically by the nationality of the ship, with the "minor naval powers" grouped together in a separate sequence at the beginning of the subseries. For each of the major naval powers the materials are further categorized by ship type and/or ship name. Subseries 1.2 consists of larger photographs, arranged alphabetically by nationality. Subseries 1.3 includes scrapbooks, maps, and other images.

 

Series 2, Correspondence, is in Jewett's original arrangement.

 

Series 3, Models, is arranged by nationality.

 

Series 4, Printed Material, retains its original arrangement.

 

The definitions used for types of ship are roughly those used in the individual navies and vary somewhat from nation to nation.

 

CONTAINER LIST

Box	Folder	Description
		Series 1: Photographs
		Subseries 1.1: Postcards and Small Photographic Prints
		Minor Naval Powers
1	1	Argentina
	2	Brazil
	3	Chile
	4	China
	5	Denmark
	6	Egypt
	7	Greece
	8	Mexico
	9	Monaco
	10	Netherlands
	11	Norway
	12	Portugal
	13	Spain
	14	Sweden
	15	Turkey
	16	Yugoslavia
		Major Naval Powers
	17-19	Austria-Hungary
		France
		Battleships
	18	A-B
	19	C
	20	D-F
	21	G-I
	22	J-L
	23	M
	24	P-R
	25	S-V
		Cruisers
	26	A-B
	27	D-E
	28	F-I
	29	J-K
	30	L-M
	31	P-W
	32	Avisos
		Destroyers
	33	A-B
	34	C-D
	35	E-F
	36	G-L
	37	M-R
	38	S-Y
	39	Torpedo Boats
		Submarines
	40	A-B
	41	C-F
	42	G-M
	43	N-S
	44	T-Z
2	45	Aircraft Carriers
		Miscellaneous Ships (Minelayers, tugs, gunboats, etc.)
	46	A-B
	47	C-E
	48	F-L
	49	M-R
	50	T-Y
	51	Sailing Ships, Steam-sail ships
	52-53	Action, composite images, crews, shores, etc.
		Germany
		Battleships, Battle Cruisers and other heavy Cruisers
	54	A-B
	55	D-F
	56	G-H
	57	K-L
	58	M-O
	59	P-R
	60	S-T
	61	W-Y
		Cruisers (medium and small)
	62	A-C
	63	D-F
	64	G-K
	65	L-N
	66	P-S
	67	T-Z
	68-75	Torpedo Boats and Destroyers
	76-78	Submarines
3	79	Miscellaneous Ships
	80-85	Action, shore installations etc.
	86	Sailing Ships, Steam-sail
	87	Liners, merchantmen[Note: more German images are included in Box 13]
		Italy
		Armored Ships
	88	A-C
	89	D-E
	90	F-I
	91	N-R
	92	S-V
	93	Cruisers
		Torpedo Boats and Destroyers
	94	A-B
	95	C-D
	96	F-I
	97	L-N
	98	O-R
	99	S-Z
	100	Submarines
	101	Miscellaneous Ships, including Sailing
	102	Action, composite images
		Japan
	103	A-I
	104	K-Y
		Russia
	105	A
	106	B-C
	107	D-E
	108	G
	109	I-L
	110	N-O
	111	P
	112	R-S
	113	T-Y
	114	Miscellaneous, unidentified, composite images
		United Kingdom
		Battleships, Battle Cruisers
4	115	A-B
	116	D
	117	E-H
	118	I-L
	119	M-N
	120	O-Q
	121	R
	122	S-T
	123	V-Z
		Cruisers
	124	A
	125	B
	126	C
	127	D
	128	E-F
	129	G-H
	130	J-K
	131	L-M
	132	N-P
	133	Q-S
	134	T-Z
	135	Miscellaneous
		Destroyer-type craft
	136	A
	137	B
	138	C
	139	D-E
	140	F
	141	G
	142	H
5	143	I-K
	144	L
	145	M
	146	N
	147	O
	148	P
	149	R
	150	S
	151	T
	152	U
	153	V
	154	W
	155	Y-Z
	156	Composite images
	157-159	Torpedo Boats
		Monitors
	160	A-Z
	161	Numbered Monitors
		Aircraft Carriers and Seaplane Tenders
	162	Aircraft Carriers
	163	Seaplane Tenders
		Submarines
	164	A and B class
	165	C class
	166	D and E class
	167	H class
	168	J and K class
	169	L class
6	170	M, R, and U class
	171	Miscellaneous (including Australian)
	172	Liners, Merchant Craft
	173	Sloops and Yachts
	174	Oilers, Tankers, Colliers
	175	Troop Ships
		Miscellaneous
	176	A-C
	177	D-G
	178	H-K
	179	L-O
	180	P-R
	181	S-T
	182	U-Z
	183	Unnamed Sailing Ships, Steam-sail
	184	A-C
	185	D-F
	186	H-L
	187	M-O
	188	P-S
	189	T-Z
	190	Composite images
	191-196	Action, composite images, crews, shore
		United States Battleships, Battle Cruisers
	197	A
	198	B
	199	C
	200	G-I
	201	K-L
	202	M
	203	N
	204	O
	205	P-S
7	206	T-V
	207	W
		Cruisers
	208	A-B
	209	C-D
	210	F-H
	211	I-M
	212	N-O
	213	P-R
	214	S
	215	T-W
		Destroyers
	216	A-B
	217	C
	218	D-E
	219	F-G
	220	H-I
	221	J-K
	222	L
	223	M-O
	224	P
	225	R
	226	S
	227	T-Z
	228	Miscellaneous
	229	Torpedo Boats
	230	Monitors
	231	Carriers and Seaplane Tenders
		Submarines
	232	A-Z
	233	Miscellaneous
	234	Submarines
	235	Sloops and Yachts
	236	Miscellaneous and unidentified Supply Ships, Colliers, etc.
	237	Transports
8	238	Miscellaneous Mineships, Land Craft, Gunboats
	239	Sailing Ships, Steam-sail
	240	Action, Composite images
	241	Rams
		Subseries 1.2: Large Photographs
9	1	China
	2	Spain
	3	Turkey
	4	Austria-Hungary
	5	France, Cruisers
	6	France, Torpedo Boats
	7	France, Submarines
	8	France, Miscellaneous Ships
	9-10	France, Action (I)
	11	France, Action, crews
	12	France, Battleships
	13	France, Cruisers
	14	France, Avisos and related craft, torpedo Avisos
10	15	Germany, Linienschiffen, Top Battleships